Nora Daley Conroy will chair the Chicago Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee. Conroy is director of outreach at Metropolis Strategies, a business and civic organization. She also chairs the board of trustees of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and serves on Navy Pier's board.

The incoming mayor also picked Michelle Boone to serve as commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Boone is the senior program officer for culture at the Joyce Foundation. David McDermott, who has spent the last seven years as a senior aide to Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, will be Boone's chief of staff.

Marj Halperin, the former president and CEO of the League of Chicago Theatres and a close friend of Emanuel's, will be the vice chair of the advisory committee.

Emanuel is a former ballet dancer and avid supporter of the arts. After he is sworn in May 16, Emanuel will give the advisory council 90 days to develop a "new cultural plan" for the city.

The cultural team was unveiled the same day Emanuel and new Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that the city, county and five Chicago foundations will provide additional summer programs in four neighborhoods to study which ones best prevent youth violence.

The effort, called One Summer Chicago, will offer an array of programs in Garfield Park, Englewood, Woodlawn and Little Village to help keep kids off the street.

The Chicago Community Trust and the MacArthur, McCormick, Field and Joyce Foundations are contributing at least $1 million for the collaborative effort. The University of Chicago Crime Lab will evaluate the programs to guide future summer offerings.

Athletic, artistic and academic courses will be tested to see which "achieve the greatest amount of safety and educational value for our children," Emanuel said at a news conference at Little Village Lawndale High School.